| The Middle East is a part of West Asia extending from Eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey and Syria, through the desert to Iraq and Arabia, and to the East through Iran to the Caspian, the Caucasus, and the Black Sea. Into Africa, it includes Egypt by some accounts, Arabian North Africa. This area comprises mountains, deserts, fertile plains irrigated by grand rivers and seacoasts. Climaticallyi the Middle East ranges from temperate Mediterranean coast to the extreme heat of the dry desert areas. Many Empires shaped the civilizations and cultures of the region and led to the common themes in its culture that we find today. The ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt were subject to subsequent conquests and incorporation in wider empires, starting with the Persians and the Greeks then the Romans which Hellenized much of the region. The Muslim Arab conquests established a vast political entity. Iran and Byzantine Empires brought elements of older cultures to shape the emergent civilizations, notably its culinary elements. The last empire to rule the region was Ottomans which also included much of Southeast Europe, creating a wide cultural synthesis of Turkish statecraft, Arab religion, Persian culture and many elements from the territories under its control. These synthesis included the food cultures. An important epoch in the history of the region is the food culture. |
